Artificial trees may have increased in popularity, but for the purist, only a real tree will do. No matter how realistic it looks, an artificial tree can’t compete with the scent and feel of a real evergreen. It’s a living part of nature to which, for a short time, we give a place of honour in our homes.

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And no matter which kind of tree it is – spruce, fir, pine or cypress – once it’s indoors, the goal is to keep the tree fresh and green. This means keeping the needles pliable and on the tree until the Christmas season is over. And the only thing that does that is water – and lots of it.

Think of it as a big, green pet: just as a dog or cat needs fresh water every day, so does a fresh Christmas tree.

1 Get the tree in water immediately
Once you get your tree home, put it into water as soon as possible, within eight hours. If the trunk wasn’t freshly cut at the place where you bought the tree, then saw an inch or two off the bottom of the trunk and put it in a tree stand filled with fresh water. If you’re not ready to set it up, put it in a bucket of water in a cool place. The water temperature doesn’t matter.

2Use the right stand
The stand should comfortably fit the diameter of the trunk. Whittling the trunk down will only dry the tree out faster. The National Christmas Tree Association in the United States recommends that a tree stand should provide two pints of water per inch of stem diameter. Be sure the tree stand you choose has a large water reservoir. A tree can take up a gallon of water in its first few hours in the stand.

3Water, water, water
Big trees mean lots of water. Watch that the cut part of the trunk stays below the waterline. Adding aspirin, lemonade or other concoctions to the water won’t extend the tree’s life, but it might sicken pets or children if they drink out of the water reservoir.

4 Give it room
Once indoors, a live tree’s branches will relax and open. Allow enough space when siting the tree for the lowest branches to fall open and not get in the way of foot traffic.

5 Keep the tree cool
To an evergreen that spent years growing in a field, your house is as dry as the Sahara Desert. And where do Christmas trees often look best? Centred in front of windows, where the sun streams in, or tucked into a corner near a radiator. Position the tree out of the sun and away from heat sources. Keep the temperature in the room as low as is practical.

6 Remember to switch off
As magical as it may be to come home to a sparkling tree, don’t leave the tree’s lights on overnight or when no one’s in the house.

7 Know when the game is up
Even with daily watering, cut trees will eventually dry out. When needles drop when you touch them, and branches droop so low that baubles are hitting the floor, it’s time to take off the lights and decorations, wrap the tree in an old sheet, and take it outside.

How to recycle your tree
So, the game is up. What’s next? Rather than unceremoniously dumping your tree on the kerbside and turning the street into a Christmas tree graveyard, why not saw off some of the tree’s branches and cover garden beds with them to protect plants?

Or you can turn them into mulch with a chipper or shredder. If you have the acreage, drag the tree to an out-of-the-way spot for birds and animals to use as cover.